Rio Theatre
519 J Street,
Sacramento,
CA
95814
519 J Street,
Sacramento,
CA
95814
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The Rio Theatre dates back to at least 1919.
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Lost Memory
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
The year given for this photo of Godard’s J Street Theater is 1910. The actual year is probably 1919.
The year given for this photo of Godard’s J Street Theater is 1925.
The year given for this photo of Godard’s J Street Theater is 1926.
Here is an opening day photo of the Sutter in November of 1930.
This photo of the Rio claims to be opening day in March of 1942.
1940 Photo
This is an early sixties view:
http://tinyurl.com/yhn7fge
The book “Sacramento: Indomitable City” by Steven Avella says that Charles W. Godard opened this theater in 1915. He had earlier operated a number of other Sacramento theaters. A History of California published in 1906 and revised in 1913 has biographical material on Godard. The 1906 edition says that he took over the Acme Theatre in 1903, and the 1913 edition adds the Liberty and Majestic to the chain of three theaters he was operating by then.
When I came to Sacramento in 1962 the Rio was showing Mexican films. It closed sometime later but was then re-opened by a new operator showing 16mm. “pin up” (nude model) adult films! Live burlesque later replaced or was added to the film programs. I can’t remember exactly when it closed for good and demolished, sometime in the latter part of the 1960’s I believe.